Things I've seen when riding my bike

[brumbrew]

Oh and... Wasn't riding my bike but saw ducks and ducklings riding the white water in the stream come river this afternoon after the rain.

They made it safely to the river bank though :-)

 

[Chippy_Tea]

So do you ride it with your head stuck out the side?

i think the rider head will be high enough to see through the clear plastic above the solar panels.

 

[brumbrew]

i think the rider head will be high enough to see through the clear plastic above the solar panels.

Or fit a bumper seat 😜

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Big flag required :lol:

 

[ElChemist]

Your crazy going round the Elephant round about on a bike :shock:. I've done it a couple of times and it's a totally hair raising experience. Cyclists regularly get knocked of there. Now they''ve rebuild it it's even worse as from what I've read the bike lane filters you into the path of traffic.
I go round the back streets. LOADS safer and adds maybe 5 mins onto your journey

I moved out of Londinium 12 years ago bud. I always found cycling in london was more of a war than anything else. Theres so many bloody cars and buses that without treating it as a battle its easy to get swallowed up and crushed.

As far as the benefits of a recumbant goes, please dont take this as a personal insult, its not meant that way, but Ive found the vast majority of them are ignorant, slow and quite often suffer poor visibility to the point where they are a bloody hindrance on the road. I can keep up a 20mph average on a road on my Wilier, and having to deal with the laid back crew in towns and cities is a nightmare. I'm sure I'm focusing on the negative encounters I've had, but I cant shake the feeling that being that low down makes them a danger to me and other road users, especially at junctions. I'm probably wrong here, but thats the feeling I get when I see one, wondering what this slow wobbly thing is gonna do next... Guess I'm tarnished by my Brockley hill experience.

 

[MyQul]

I moved out of Londinium 12 years ago bud. I always found cycling in london was more of a war than anything else. Theres so many bloody cars and buses that without treating it as a battle its easy to get swallowed up and crushed.

As far as the benefits of a recumbant goes, please dont take this as a personal insult, its not meant that way, but Ive found the vast majority of them are ignorant, slow and quite often suffer poor visibility to the point where they are a bloody hindrance on the road. I can keep up a 20mph average on a road on my Wilier, and having to deal with the laid back crew in towns and cities is a nightmare. I'm sure I'm focusing on the negative encounters I've had, but I cant shake the feeling that being that low down makes them a danger to me and other road users, especially at junctions. I'm probably wrong here, but thats the feeling I get when I see one, wondering what this slow wobbly thing is gonna do next... Guess I'm tarnished by my Brockley hill experience.

I would agree with you on your views on recumbents....their tarnished by your Brockley hill experience.

When you say, "but Ive found the vast majority of them" I'm quite surprised. Where are all these hoards of marauding (slowly) recumbents? In the nine years or so I've been riding mine, despite there being hundreds of thousands of bikes in London I've only ever seen a handful on the streets, maybe - 10-20 different ones. As you can imagine because I ride one I particularly notice them. Whenever we see another 'Bent rider we always wave at each others as there are so few of us

"ignorant, slow and quite often suffer poor visibility" - .

Ignorant? I think you've played the man, not the ball here. That would be the rider of course not the style of bike itself. Plenty of ignorant non recumbent cyclists about. In fact they would make up the vast majority of ignorant cyclists as recumbents make up such a small percentatage of cyclists overall

Slow? Because of the streamlined position 'bents can be faster than regular bikes. They were banned in 1934 by the UCI from racing as they are faster than regular bikes. I regular pass other cyclists going down hill without even pedaling when they're pedaling away furiosly, I can also easily maintain 20mph if I wish too. Because 'bents' are so comfortable they're usually chosen by the older rider who may not be as fit or actually doesnt want to ride quickly everywhere. I'm guessing the older recumbent rider is the odd oe or two you would have come across.And Just to add, the human powered land speed record is held by a recumbent, 86mph.

Poor visabilty? You can look around on a 'bent' just as easy as you can on a regular bike. I have a mirror on my handle bars so I dont have to bother but somethimes I do. I pass plenty of other 'dangerous' cyclists who just cycle along in there own little bubble, not looking behind them when they pull out, not doing hand signals etc.

I agree with you on the lower type of bent's. I wouldn't ride one around London. I have one with 2x26" wheels so am much higher up and can make eye contact with drivers

And no, I didn't take it as personal insult (couldn't let your comments pass though. Gotta reprezant! In the words of Chamillionaire, "They see me rollin', They hatin' , )

 

[Dutto]

I'm not keen on recumbent riders; but it's just the one incident that has put me off.

Back in 2014 I took my grandson on a 50 mile sportive around Norfolk in aid of the Leonard Cheshire Homes when he was nineteen.

He seldom cycled and had no gear so I lent him a decent bike and offered to buy him a pair of cycling shorts but his Mum (my daughter bless her) explained that he had "padded" football shorts and wouldn't be needing them.

On the day, he arrived with shorts padded on both hips so I offered him some Chamois Cream, to help with any chafing, but the offer was refused.

We set off and at half way he announced that the cream might have been a good idea. Of course, by this time the cream was 25 miles away so ...

At about the 35 miles mark he complained about his state of health (aching muscles and a chafed backside) but I managed to keep him going with the usual tactics of "We'll stop for a break at the next village." "It's only a few more miles." "We are nearly there." etc despite having a GPS that told me to within a yard how much further we had to go.

The lad struggled on and we stopped a few times to give his backside and muscles a rest but at the 45 miles mark we stopped for a break alongside a cyclist on a recumbent type of bike.

The man heard my grandson ask "How much further is it grandad?" and my reply of "Just a couple of miles up the road. There's no rush, we've got all day."

At this point the recumbent cyclist decided to enter the conversation with "You've got that wrong!" (I have a GPS remember) "It's at least another five miles to the Finish." I was not amused as I saw my grandson virtually give up before my eyes!

This lad, unused to cycling, had ridden a strange bike in a pair of unpadded shorts on a cold and miserable day for 45 miles and this idiot just had to knock out the one chance I had of encouraging him to finish the course.

A few yards further on he gave up the challenge when he saw a garden seat alongside the road. I finished the course, sent his Dad to pick him and the bike up in the car; and the grandson spent the next 36 hours in bed nursing his aching backside and muscles.

Of course, many recumbent style cyclists are fine upstanding people ... :thumb: :thumb:

... but the one I met that day was an interfering plonker who should have been strangled at birth!:whistle::whistle:

 

[ElChemist]

I would agree with you on your views on recumbents....their tarnished by your Brockley hill experience.

When you say, "but Ive found the vast majority of them" I'm quite surprised. Where are all these hoards of marauding (slowly) recumbents? In the nine years or so I've been riding mine, despite there being hundreds of thousands of bikes in London I've only ever seen a handful on the streets, maybe - 10-20 different ones. As you can imagine because I ride one I particularly notice them. Whenever we see another 'Bent rider we always wave at each others as there are so few of us

"ignorant, slow and quite often suffer poor visibility" - .

Ignorant? I think you've played the man, not the ball here. That would be the rider of course not the style of bike itself. Plenty of ignorant non recumbent cyclists about. In fact they would make up the vast majority of ignorant cyclists as recumbents make up such a small percentatage of cyclists overall

Slow? Because of the streamlined position 'bents can be faster than regular bikes. They were banned in 1934 by the UCI from racing as they are faster than regular bikes. I regular pass other cyclists going down hill without even pedaling when they're pedaling away furiosly, I can also easily maintain 20mph if I wish too. Because 'bents' are so comfortable they're usually chosen by the older rider who may not be as fit or actually doesnt want to ride quickly everywhere. I'm guessing the older recumbent rider is the odd oe or two you would have come across.And Just to add, the human powered land speed record is held by a recumbent, 86mph.

Poor visabilty? You can look around on a 'bent' just as easy as you can on a regular bike. I have a mirror on my handle bars so I dont have to bother but somethimes I do. I pass plenty of other 'dangerous' cyclists who just cycle along in there own little bubble, not looking behind them when they pull out, not doing hand signals etc.

I agree with you on the lower type of bent's. I wouldn't ride one around London. I have one with 2x26" wheels so am much higher up and can make eye contact with drivers

And no, I didn't take it as personal insult (couldn't let your comments pass though. Gotta reprezant! In the words of Chamillionaire, "They see me rollin', They hatin' , )

Not gonna disagree, I've had one bad experience and no doubt it's tainted my view. They are supposed to be faster but that's reliant on the rider more than the bike... I do find it pleasant passing them though, and I am far from Aerodynamic lol

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

 

[MyQul]

Back on point...I saw a fantastic view of hampton court palace today, viewed from the bottom of the 'long water' in Home Park. And I saw some cute goslings when I was riding by the river

 

[brumbrew]

That comment was a bit harsh dutto some people as you say should have been strangled at birth regardless of their mode of transport.

I don't understand this bum chaffing, never had it and ride in all weather and in normal clothes.

However;

I ask a lady the other day at the train station, laden with child and pushchair,

Would like some help?

If I wanted your effin help I'd ask.

Moves on politely thinking... if that was a guy I'd have punched him right in the mouth!

Some people have no tact

 

[Dutto]

... if that was a guy I'd have punched him right in the mouth!

Some people have no tact

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

So that passes for "tact" in Brummy Land does it?? :whistle: :whistle:

 

[Dutto]

Yesterday we went for our first ride since getting back home and discovered the new "austerity measures" are working!

The Croft to Skegness cycle path is still a cracked and potholed mess but due to a lack of grass cutting it is now a very narrow cracked and potholed mess with the encroachment of grass and weeds.

When we set out, it was warm enough to entice SWMBO to wear shorts (padded of course) so she had the added joy of arriving back in town with legs that were beautifully patterned with nettle rash!

Good to be back? The jury is still out! :whistle: :whistle:

 

[MyQul]

Yesterday we went for our first ride since getting back home and discovered the new "austerity measures" are working!

The Croft to Skegness cycle path is still a cracked and potholed mess but due to a lack of grass cutting it is now a very narrow cracked and potholed mess with the encroachment of grass and weeds.

When we set out, it was warm enough to entice SWMBO to wear shorts (padded of course) so she had the added joy of arriving back in town with legs that were beautifully patterned with nettle rash!

Good to be back? The jury is still out! :whistle: :whistle:

Not sure whether to 'like' your post as I'm can understand you taking offence to me 'liking' MrsDutto getting nettle rash :lol:

Here in London they're slowly but surely completing the various segregated bike lanes. They're a joy to ride on. Apart from going over the massive speed humps on the the Embankment one, as on my Recumbent, I tend to 'get a bit of air' even when I'm not even cycling that quick

 

[Dutto]

Not sure whether to 'like' your post as I'm can understand you taking offence to me 'liking' MrsDutto getting nettle rash :lol:

Here in London they're slowly but surely completing the various segregated bike lanes. They're a joy to ride on. Apart from going over the massive speed humps on the the Embankment one, as on my Recumbent, I tend to 'get a bit of air' even when I'm not even cycling that quick

No problems with the nettle rash, especially after the comments she made when I went out in a pair of shorts last month and the temperature dropped to 6 degrees!!

However, the thought of someone on a Recumbent doing a wheelie?

Respect! :hat: :hat:

 

[MyQul]

However, the thought of someone on a Recumbent doing a wheelie?

Respect! :hat: :hat:

I get kids shouting all kinds of things at me when I ride by (almost always positive), but one of them is, "Do a wheelie!" :lol:

 

[Russ146]

the shorts will be to stop his trousers getting a polished shiny bottom from constantly rubbed on the saddle

had to be a vicar didnt it...........

 

[MyQul]

the shorts will be to stop his trousers getting a polished shiny bottom from constantly rubbed on the saddle

had to be a vicar didnt it...........

Oh of course . Thanks for the explanation. And yes it would have to be a vicar

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I have just been reading up on recumbents (look what you've started) and there seems to be a bit of a debate about hill climbing on one, what is your take on this MQ?

 

[MyQul]

I have just been reading up on recumbents (look what you've started) and there seems to be a bit of a debate about hill climbing on one, what is your take on this MQ?

They're harder to peddle up hill as you cant stand on the pedals. Having said that I took my tripple ring off the front as London is relatively flat and I dont need oneand just have a 42 teeth ring. So if you use your granny ring you should be fine
For me I'm slowish up hill but compensate going down the other side because of the streamlined possition. Peddling up hill though you can't cheat and stand on the pedals, so good for building up your quads

I'll convert you yet chippy!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I'll convert you yet chippy!

To convert me you would have to get my fat arse onto a normal bike first. :lol: